Foreign Flair Gives Premier League Elite Status
We’ve heard arguments about how the influx of foreign players is hurting English football (and have those arguments suitably refuted). Now we have Jonathan Moynihan, a Barcelona fan, talking about why foreign players give the Premier League its much-vaunted ‘elite’ status.
It’s not surprise to anyone who keeps up in today’s futbol world that EPL is one of the top, if not the top league in the world. The standard of play grows with each new transfer and year as foreign influences effect and dazzle these traditional and classic English clubs.
Without the pizzaz of foreign players, the nation of England would not be the center of the futbol world, as it is now. Take a look at the top foreign players in each of the top 4 clubs of England. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool all have key strikers from outside nations that lead their team in goals with the exception of Manchester United with Rooney leading the team in goals.
However, it’s no secret that Cristiano is the supplier of beauty in a Manchester attack. And not just goals, but excitement and scoring chances as well. Take a look at these comparative statistics between the English nationals and their foreign teammates:
Chelsea
-Drogba, 43 goals since 2004
-Lampard, 64 goals since 2001
Arsenal
-Henry, 174 goals since 1999
-Is there a lead English player?
Manchester United
-C. Ronaldo, 35 since 2003
-Rooney, 41 goals since 2004
-I will note the excitement that Ronaldo brings that can only be supplied by his playing style, creativity and assists.
Liverpool
With the arrival of Fernando Torres, it’s not doubt that Liverpool will no longer be the team of strategy and tactics, but a more free flowing spectacle and a club that can be described as ambassadors of the beautiful game.
Like Liverpool, Manchester United will reap the benefits of a new foreign transfer in Carlos Tevez. The big question is if he can be the supporting character to Wayne Rooney, but regardless of that answer, Tevez will be another footballer with the ability to bring excitement and beauty to another historic English club.
The top four clubs of England all have lower than 40% of it’s squad being actual Englishmen, and dropping all the way to 12% in Arsenal.
All I can say is, thank God for transfers, and thank God for the EPL.
All the latest football headlines.
“The top four clubs of England all have lower than 40% of it’s squad being actual Englishmen…”
- Manchester United = 56.6% (17 out of 30)
Unless of course you discount Wales, Ireland, Scotland, N.Ireland
= 33.3% English
Sorry, I meant to say 43.3% English
the real reason for the lack of englishmen is due to the poor attitude of the players. look at jermaine pennant. prime example. talented player. but extremely foul attitude. looks to have too much $ for his young age. but i m glad he joined pool. such a shite player surely deserves pool.
When I saw the title of this article I thought it was going to be about the obsession of (a small contingent of) foreigners living in Australia who can’t go to a soccer game without setting off a flare. Nevermind that flares don’t seem to bear any real correlation to soccer (or any sport for that matter).
Anyway, surely you realize it’s spelt F-L-A-I-R? As in a certain Boy from the Nature?
Woo.
well
Liverpool = Spainish side
Arsenal = Frnech side
Man U = A UK side
Chealski = A Mix of Dirt From across the Globe
So its just like the way managers are from the more international managers come the more international players will come
So, you’re comparing Drogba with Lampard for goalscoring. What does that prove? If you had any pie-eating stats Lampard would be miles ahead.
What about number of court appearances… Bellamy, Woodgate, Ferdinand, Bowyer… other nationalities don’t compare.
In all seriousness, if you are looking at the “Product” in terms of entertainment then the Prem is probably the best at present.
if you look at the impact on the national team, the loosening of the link to local communities, fragmentation of society etc… it has a negative knock-on effect. I don’t give a monkeys about competing in Europe and therefore would prefer more English players as it re-establishes a link between the community and teams.
In the long term with such a reduction in any form of link between teams and local communities there will be no locals attending anymore. That’s fine as long as football is still trendy. But when all the jonny-come-latelys go to some other pass-time, then the game will be ####ed.
FC - there’s no impact on the national team, can we please get over that?
the link to local communities is loosening because of the influx of money and the vicious cycle that generates. When you’ve got rising ticket prices and advertising shoved in your face not everyone wants to buy your product.
And when local football is marginalised for the cause of that regional club in the Premiership, TV wins every single time.
the ‘Product’ is great, yes it needs to be more in tune with local needs but it’s not hurting the national team.
Fifth Column has made a valid point in terms of local community and team relations. Apart from that the influx of foreign players is also hurting the national cause in terms of Euro or world cups.
The local lads though talented don’t get to make the first team regularly in EPL coz the EPL managers bank on foreign players whom they find more reliable. Hence despite their potential they are not selected in national team to represent in international tournaments just coz they are second string in their very own clubs.
There are very few English stars in EPL teams much less in the top 4 clubs. They happen to constitute the bulk of the national team. Without them we have no viable alternative.
Against Russia and Israel too we fielded players who were not the mainstay but were fringe players and got results.
Now compare ourselves with Brazil who in the recently concluded Copa America fielded barely known names (Except Robinho) and still managed to reach the finals and beat a full strength Argentina who in contrast had fielded all their stars. Can England do a Brazil and win.
Argentina won the FIFA Under20 world cup with players who regularly figure in the domestic league games and had the requisite matches to develop as players. There is some Argentina kid 6′ 4″ tall who is being touted as the new Maradona and Cheslea and other big clubs are running mad after his services. Yet this kid could not find a place in Argentina’s cup winning squad.
Jose’s boss Roman wants instant results so you see Chelsea picking up all the 30 odd years players for inflated amounts. However Benitez and SAF have no such constraints and they wisely build for the future and so does Arsene Wenger. But whom are they bringing into their teams.
In the name of building for the future Benitez brings some 18 year old Hungarian striker and another non-english midfielder. SAF gets two Brazilian kids who are brothers who play as fullbacks on either side.
English kids do not figure even in their future plans.
What has happened to the erstwhile famed youth systems of Liverpool and Manchester United which churned out great English players like Gerard, Owen, Paul Scholes, and Beckham? Now even the youth teams of the clubs take in only foreign players.
It’s a sad site to see England play in world cup matches and come away with nothing but more controversy. With each passing season the 1966 world cup triumph seems all the more impossible to repeat.